Voyages de Mr Dellon, avec Sa Relation de l'Inquisition de Goa, augmentee de diverses pieces curieuses; et L'Histoire des Dieux qu'adorent les Gentils des Indes by Charles Dellon - 1709

Cologne: Pierre Marteau, 1709 A very good early copy of this work, first published in 1685. 3 volumes in 2 with 4 engraved plates, 2 of which are folding. Mr Dellon, a physician, left France in 1668 travelling the coast of Malabar and practicing medicine. He was arrested by the Inquisition and sent for trial in Goa in 1674, suffering 2 years of imprisonment and torture, before being sentenced to 5 years in the galleys. Luckily he was released at the start of this sentence. His detailed account of the Inquisition has apparently been found to be accurate and provides a rare contemporary description of an Auto da Fe, and particularly interesting insights on the fate of the Portuguese New Christians. In contemporary speckled calf bindings with elaborately gilt tooled spines with raised bands and title and volume labels. Red page edges. The bindings have wear to top and bottom of the spine and spine joints, and corners, but are sound and in good to very good condition. Marbled endpapers with large bookplate of Bath reference library. The books were donated in 1920 by Mrs Miles, the widow of Colonel Samuel Barrett Miles, in memory of her husband. Also a small bookplate of Librairie Ecclesiastique. There are small blind stamped library marks at various points but these are not particularly noticeable. Library notes and ink signature of Colonel Miles to reverse of feps. Text with decorative head and tailpieces. Vol I: blank; title page; Dedication 8pp; Preface 9pp; Errata 1p; Text pp 1-476; 2 blanks; e/ps. Paper has light brown toning, more noticeable on some sections than others, but generally very good condition. Vol II: 2 blanks; title page; 4 plates (2 folding) with blind stamps; text - Relation de l"Inquisition pp 1-249; Table de Chapitres 10pp; title page Histoire des Dieux qu'adorent des gentils des Indes avec une addition considerable a l'histoire de l'Inquisition de Goa Tome Troisieme; Table de Chapitres 2pp; text pp 1-270 including list of names of those released from the Inquisition. A rare set with interesting provenance - Colonel Miles was a diplomat - his notes were published posthumously by his wife as 'The Countries and Tribes of the Persian Gulf' in 1919.